Buhari’s Punishment For Ballot Snatchers Constitutional, Says Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, the re-election campaign spokesman for President
Muhammadu Buhari who seeks a second term in office, says the punishment
the Nigerian leader prefers and wants to unleash on ballot box snatchers
is constitutional.

Mr Buhari had on Monday promised to terminate
the life of anyone who hijacks the ballot box as the rescheduled
general election kick starts on Saturday.

The president’s threat
has generated reactions to which a fact check by POLITICS TIMES proved
him wrong as the country was still operating under a democratic regime
with electoral laws to punish those caught in the act of thwarting the
electoral wish of the people.

Even the electoral body conducting
the election said the president’s preferred punishment is not applicable
as the commission under its act has punishment spelt out for such
malpractice.

For the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) the president’s preferred punishment on defaulters is constitutional.

The
legal practitioner stated this during a Channels television programme:
The Verdict. Senator Dino Melaye also featured representing the opposing
camp.

Keyamo who did not cite any section of the law to back up
his claim said ballot snatching can be likened to robbery as the two
crimes has criminal relations and can be tried using either electoral or
criminal law.

He argued that armed robbery is punishable by
death, saying Buhari’s statement should be understood as a commitment to
protect the majority against the violent minority, which ballot
snatchers represent.

The lawyer said both Nigerian and
international law provided for an exception that allows criminal to be
killed extra-judicially.

“I will advise the president to make the
statement again and again…so if you don’t want to die, don’t snatch
ballots,” Keyamu said.

Opposing him is Mr Melaye who described the president’s punishment as an endorsement of jungle justice.

“The
president does not have the power to pronounce death on anybody even a
criminal. That is for the judge and the president is not a judge,” the
Senator said.

More on Kevin Djakpor Blog

Buhari’s Punishment For Ballot Snatchers Constitutional, Says Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, the re-election campaign spokesman for President
Muhammadu Buhari who seeks a second term in office, says the punishment
the Nigerian leader prefers and wants to unleash on ballot box snatchers
is constitutional.

Mr Buhari had on Monday promised to terminate
the life of anyone who hijacks the ballot box as the rescheduled
general election kick starts on Saturday.

The president’s threat
has generated reactions to which a fact check by POLITICS TIMES proved
him wrong as the country was still operating under a democratic regime
with electoral laws to punish those caught in the act of thwarting the
electoral wish of the people.

Even the electoral body conducting
the election said the president’s preferred punishment is not applicable
as the commission under its act has punishment spelt out for such
malpractice.

For the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) the president’s preferred punishment on defaulters is constitutional.

The
legal practitioner stated this during a Channels television programme:
The Verdict. Senator Dino Melaye also featured representing the opposing
camp.

Keyamo who did not cite any section of the law to back up
his claim said ballot snatching can be likened to robbery as the two
crimes has criminal relations and can be tried using either electoral or
criminal law.

He argued that armed robbery is punishable by
death, saying Buhari’s statement should be understood as a commitment to
protect the majority against the violent minority, which ballot
snatchers represent.

The lawyer said both Nigerian and
international law provided for an exception that allows criminal to be
killed extra-judicially.

“I will advise the president to make the
statement again and again…so if you don’t want to die, don’t snatch
ballots,” Keyamu said.

Opposing him is Mr Melaye who described the president’s punishment as an endorsement of jungle justice.

“The
president does not have the power to pronounce death on anybody even a
criminal. That is for the judge and the president is not a judge,” the
Senator said.

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